Cigar cutter



March 22, 1932. J. w BUSHAW CIGAR CUTTER Filed Sept. 12, 1929 5h aw JuhnYYzsen Bu Saw/Q JOHN-WESLEY BUSI-IAW, mcournmn'r, or TAMPA, FLOR DA 'BY BENJAMIN, ISAA-C 3 smrn, GUARDIAN,

Patented Mar. 22, 1932 ATENT orrice CIGAR Application iile d September This inventionrelates to means for gaging the length and for cutting or trimming the butts of cigars as they are manufactured. It has for its principal object to provide a device of this character'capable of being folded from its operative position into a compact form convenient for being carried. Another v ob-Lect is to provide a trimmer which is cale of vertical adjustment upon its base;

Arurther object istopro'videa construction fc'apableofbeing shaped by dies fromxsheet' metal whereby'to reduce the costf manufacture. Further'objects willap-pear in con-' liectio-n with the description of a typical form of thedevice' chosen as an illustrative embodiment which has been found to be'efheient and practical, though it will be understood 7 thatmany changes in details of proportions and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the principles of the invention or sacrificing any' of its advantages. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a preferred embodimentof the inventionas seen when looking at a front corner witlrthe device fully open; Fig. 2 is'aper spect'i've view of the device as seen from a point diagonally opposite from the point of view in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view as thedevice appears when folded ready fortra-nsportation, 4

' A base plate lhas its edges bent at right angles to form upright flanges or webs 2a'nd 3 between which is secured asupporting member which will preferablyconsist' of a single sheet of metal having an upright portion l" folded at its lower end to provide a horizontal web 4.",this' web being folded to form a front sleeve 5 and arear sleeve'or sleeves 6, the width of the member l with its base being such-as to form a snug fit be tween the flanges2 and 3.; 1 y

The web 2 has an inverted L-shaped slot 7 and the web 3' has a similar slot 8, the slots beingparallel and formed near the front edges-of the webs. A bolt 9 having a head 10' passes through the slots Tend Sand through the sleeve -5, the head being large enough to engage the webon both sides of the slot 8' while a washer 11 andwing nut 12' on the end otthe bolt remote from the OF TAMPA, FLORIDA w rm 12, 1929. 1 semin6. 392,1'ssf head serve to draw the webs' 2 and 3 into contact withthe'upright 41 "A machine s'crew'13,'.which'may have a winged head 14, passesl through ahole 15 in the web 2, through the sleeve or sleeves 6 ofth'e u-prigl'it 4, and intoa screw-threaded hole '16 in the web 3.. a I

It will be seen that with the bolt 9- and the screw 13 in place and tightened, the supporting member 4 will be held firmly between the webs 2and 3'. If, desired, the screw 13 may beremoved the nut :12 loosened, the member j l lifted with the bolt 9 sliding upward in the slots 7 and 8 until thezbolt is seated in the rear ends'of the horizontal portions of the'slots, and the screw 13' may then be passed throughthehole 17 in'the Web2,

through the sleeve-or sleeves 6, and into screw-threaded engagementwvith the opening 18 in the web 3.' When the nut 12 is tightened in this new positionv and the screw 13 also-made tight, the upright 4 will again be held firmlybetween the webs 2 and 3'but at a higher positions. I

; Upon the upright 4 above its center, is'

the bearing member 19 and the. plate 22,v

which is held removably on the non-circular end of the axis-21 by a cotter pin 25 and the tension ofthe spring serves to hold the axis of the carrier 20 within the bearing 19 while permitting a slight longitudinal movement of the axis. Upon the carier 20 is a star-knife 26 0f a well known type mounted at its center I on a stud127 on the carrier, and having aplurality of perforations 28 which may be engaged selectively with stud 29 on. the carrier to present any of the cutting edges of the star-knife for cooperation with the reversible knife-plate 30 which is adjustably mounted on the upright {l in a well-known manner, as shown for example in patent to Miller, 396,339, Jan. 15, 1889, The spring 23 serves normally to hold the cutter carrier 20 in its uppermost position, a suitable slot in the upright 4 serving to limit the movement of the stud 27 around the axis of oscillation. The spring also serves to hold the star-knife yieldingly in contact with the cutting edge of the knife-plate 30 to secure a shearing action.

' On the side of the upright 4 remote from the flange 24 is formed a flange 31, and at the center of the upright is a flange 32 formed by foldingback the portion of the web of the upright which would interfere'with the cutting notch of the plate 30. Between these flanges 31 and 32, extends a bolt 33 which serves ,as a supporting bar and pivot for the flanged trough 3A which acts as a support for the cigar of which the butt end is to be removed. This trough is located with its front end at the point where the star-knife swings down to cooperate with the knifeplate 30, and the adjustability of the plate permits it to be set accurately at the end of the trough.

The trough has side flanges 35 and 36 each having a slot 37 permitting the trough to be lifted at its rear end around the bolt 33 as a pivot until it reaches an upright position in contact with the carrier 20, the slots then permitting the trough to slide parallel with the upright 4. If the screw 13 is removed andthe nut 12 loosened on the bolt 9, the upright 4 may befolded down with the trough 34 between it'and the base plate as shown in Fig. 3. :In this position, the carrier 20 is swung on its axis against the resistance of the spring 23 and engaged within a hooked tongue 38 formed by cutting or punching out a portion of the upper edge of the flange 2 and folding it back to form a detent for the handle portion of the knife carrier 20 when in its lowered position. The spring 23 acts to hold the carrier within the hook '38. i

The trough is provided with graduations at 39 on its upper surface, and has an inturned edge and a clamping member 40 to hold a sliding gage member 41 at any desired position of adjustment. A slot 42 in the trough permitsthe gage member 41 to be set to the longest or the shortest measure needed. The gage member 41 is made with both edges alike, permitting it to be reversed with its upstanding end at the front instead of at the rear if necessary.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigar cutter comprising a base having side flanges, a supporting member pivotally mounted on the flanges of the base for movement from a position substantially at right angles to the base to a position substantially parallel to the base and between the flanges, find a cutter carried by the supporing mem- 2. A device as in claim 1 having a cigar support pivotally mounted upon the supporting member for movement from a position transverse to the plane of the cutter to a position substantially parallel to the supporting member.

3. VA cigar cutter comprising asheet metal base provided with substantially parallel side flanges, a sheet metal supporting member having a normally vertical web transverse to the lanes of the base flanges, and a normally horizontal web transverse to the planes of the base flanges and of the vertical web, the supporting member being of a width to fit between the base flanges, means for securing the supporting member to the base flanges and a knife movably mounted on the vertical web of the supporting member.

7 4. A device as in claim 3 having a knife carrier for movement substantially parallel to the plane of the vertical web of the supporting member, the knife being mounted on the carrier and a cigar support pivotally mounted on the vertical web to hold a cigar transverse to the plane of the cutter.

5. A cigar cutter comprising a base, flanges extending upward from opposite edges of the base substantially parallel with each other and having slots formed therein for engage:

ment by a transverse bolt whereby to permit movement of the bolt toward and from the base, a supporting member pivoted upon the bolt for adjustment into a position at right angles, or into a position parallel, with respect to the base without detachment therefrom, and a knife mounted upon the supporting member for movement parallel thereto.

6. A structure as in claim 5 having a spring actuated knife carrier carrying the knife and pivoted on the supporting member, one of the base flanges having a recess formed therein to receive and hold the knife carrier when the supporting member is adjusted with the carrier close to the base.

7. A cigar cutter comprising a base having parallel side flanges, a supporting member mounted between the flanges, means for clamping the flanges against the supporting member, a cutter on the supporting member, a. cigar support on the supporting member, a slide on the cigar support to adjust a cigar longitudinally in its relation to the cutter, and means to hold the cigar support at substantially right angles to said cutter.

8. A cigar cutter comprising a base, an upright supporting .member carried by the base and pivoted thereon for movement to a position substantially parallel thereto, a knife pivotally mounted on the supporting member for movement substantially parallel thereto,a cigar support pivoted upon the upright supporting member and normally extending transversely of the plane thereof but movable to a position substantially parallel thereto, and a fixed knife upon the upright for cooperation with the pivoted knife and adjustable to position the cutting edge thereof in relation to the cigar support.

In witness-0f which I hereunto afiix my signature.

BENJAMIN ISAAC SHARPE, Guardian 0/ John Wesley Bushaw, [mompetent. 

